Nearly ten years on from the Asian financial crisis and the IMF has yet to find a workable solution to the need for a precautionary financing arrangement that helps middle-income countries prevent financial crisis. The IMF’s inability to articulate a plan to mitigate global economic risks will force countries to continue searching for ways to self-insure.
Strategy/roles
IFI governance
News
Recommended resources 2006
Books, papers and electronic resources of note in 2006 which discuss the World Bank and IMF.
Environment
News
Global energy solutions bank on carbon trading
In the midst of climate talks in Nairobi and the release of the Stern review on the potential catastrophic economic impacts of climate change, the World Bank has been touting the most recent draft of its investment framework on clean energy and development, and stepping up its role in devising market-based solutions to climate change. Critics have decried the hypocrisy of the Bank's role in funding fossil fuel projects, and the perverse rationale behind carbon trading
Infrastructure
News
High-risk water infrastructure at any cost
After a decline in the late 90s, World Bank lending for water projects has been rapidly increasing over recent years, reaching $1.8 billion in FY05, and is set to continue.
Rights
News
Bank, Fund sidestep labour standards: Promote violation of workers’ rights
The World Bank’s 2007 Doing Business Report rewards countries with low levels of labour protection and the IMF’s World Economic Outlook urges labour market deregulation. This has prompted calls from organised labour, developing country governments and US senators for the institutions to respect the standards of the International Labour Organization (ILO).
Finance
News
IMF macroeconomic advice: 'thanks, but no thanks'
The IMF’s ability to dictate economic policy to member states is fraying because of lost credibility in the wake of its failures in East Asia, Argentina and Russia. Developing countries are now rejecting the Fund’s interference in their economies.
Rights
News
World Bank’s handling of fragile states “unsatisfactory”
In September the Independent Evaluation Group (IEG) released its review of World Bank support to 'fragile states'. The report gave the Bank a mixed review on its effectiveness, but raised serious questions about both the way the Bank is organised internally to deal with fragile states and the system it uses to allocate resources. Researchers and Bank-watchers question whether the review has gone far enough to examine what causes state 'fragility' and what role Bank-led reforms and projects may
Rights
News
World Bank-IMF annual meetings 2006
The annual meetings of the World Bank and the IMF in Singapore faced controversy over the ‘blacklisting’ of civil society participants.
Accountability
News
Independence of IMF’s evaluation arm questioned
In an evaluation of the IMF Independent Evaluation Office's first five years of work, an external committee concluded that the IMF board may have undue influence over the body. Additionally the IEO set itself an ambitious work plan for the next year, as it plans to delve into the Fund's internal organisation and trade policy
Finance
News
Tinkering at the edges of governance reform: IMF quota proposals
After months of official wrangling and European stalling, proposals for changing IMF quotas, which determine financial contributions and voting power in the organisation, have coalesced around a small ad hoc increase for four countries, a commitment to make the quota formula more closely match economic realities and an increase in the basic vote
Featured briefings
16 October 2024
The Bretton Woods Observer: Autumn 2024
16 October 2024
The lost call for international financial architecture reform in the G20
At the 80th anniversary of the World Bank and IMF, global civil society must maintain pressure on the Brazilian and South African G20 presidencies to ensure the forth Financing for Development Conference in 2025 results in urgently required international financial architecture reform.
16 October 2024
Sustainable development requires sustainable finance: why local currency financing is part of the solution
Multilateral development banks can reduce their dependence on hard currency lending and make local currency financing a central element of their developmental mandate.